AP World Summary - AMSCO + Princeton Review
Unit 1: The Global Tapestry 1200-1450
1.1 Developments in East Asia
A: Explain the systems of government employed by Chinese dynasties and how they developed over time.
B: Explain the effects of Chinese cultural traditions on East Asia over time.
C: Explain the effects of innovation on the Chinese economy over time.
Government Developments in Song Dynasty
● The Song Dynasty Replaced Tang in 960 and ruled for three centuries. They had less land
but they flourished.
● Appointed officials carrying out the empire’s policies (Imperial Bureaucracy) gave
China its strength, and it would only expand + strengthen the dynasty.
- Bureaucracy had been in place since Qin
- Represented a continuity across centuries/dynasties
● Emperor Song Taizu allowed young men of lower economic status to have expanded
educational opportunities
- Done in an effort to help them score well on civil service exams
- This system of demonstrating merit on exams to achieve positions gave China’s
bureaucracy the name of meritocracy, and it allowed for more upward mobility
than any other system of its time
- Contributed to the empire's downfall because of the bureaucracy’s size; creating
so many jobs + paying officials a lot increased costs of government, harming
China’s surplus wealth.
Economic Developments in Post Classical China
● Accomplishments of the Tang Dynasty (agricultural dev, improved roads/canals, foreign
trade, technology spread) led to rapid prosperity/growth during Song Dynasty
- Ex: Grand Canal - inexpensive and efficient waterway transport system 30k miles
long. Its expansion during the Song Dynasty allowed China to become the most
populous trading area in the world.
● Innovators in the Song Dynasty made the first guns. Over Centuries, gunpowder/gun
technology spread from China to all parts of Eurasia through the Silk Road.
● Agricultural production was expanded by Champa Rice, a fast-ripening and
drought-resistant crop from the Champa Kingdom.
, - Allowed farming to spread to once-impossible lands (lowlands, riverbanks, hills)
and even allowed farmers to grow two rice crops (summer/winter) per year.
● Innovative Methods of Production: Elaborate irrigation systems, manure, and heavy
plows pulled by buffalo allowed for agricultural expansion and success
● These Agricultural changes brought China an abundance of food, greatly increasing its
population.
● Industrial Production in China soared, in part due to China’s discovery of coal allowing
for greater amounts of cast iron goods.
- The massive use of Coal to power machines wouldn’t be in use until the 28th
century, but China did have the greatest manufacturing capability in the world.
- By taking the carbon out of cast iron to manufacture steel, the Chinese were able
to make/reinforce bridges, gates, and ship anchors, make religious items, and
strengthen agriculture equipment, helping with agricultural output.
● China experienced proto-industrialization, a set of economic changes that relied more
on home-based production using simple equipment under the supervision of the
imperial government.
- Allowed people in rural areas to make more goods than they could sell.
- Ex: Artisans produced steel and porcelain, a highly desirable material because of
its lightness, strength, and easy paintability.
● Chinese used Compass for navigation, redesigned ships to carry more cargo, and
utilized paper navigation charts (ability to print) to make seafaring possible in open
waters, making sailors less reliant on the sky.
● With these advances, China became the world’s most commercialized society.
- The economy changed from local to market production with porcelain, textile,
and tea exports.
- Grand Canal + Advances in Naval Tech allowed for greater control of expanding
internal trade in the South China Sea
- Military Power allowed Tang + Song to protect traders from bandits
● By letting the government pay people to work on public projects instead of requiring
them, the Song could increase the amount of money in circulation, promoting the
growth of a commercial economy.
● Other states had to provide money or goods to honor the Chinese emperor as another
source of income for the Government, cementing China’s economic/political power over
several foreign countries and creating stability/trade.
, - This tributary system originated from the Han Dynasty
- Korea, Japan, and kingdoms in Southeast Asia were tributary states by the time
of the Song.
- To show respect, anyone greeting the Chinese emperor had to bow their head
until it reached the floor (kowtow)
- Zheng He’s voyages were ways to show the power of the emperor and receive
tribute.
Social Structures in China
● The Song Dynasty brought an increase in urbanization, unlike the rural-centered
communities of past China.
- At its height, the Song Dynasty was the most urbanized land in the world with
cosmopolitan metropolises such as Chang’an, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou
(Ancient capitals, port cities) boasting more than 100k people.
● Scholar Gentry: The most influential social class in China, created by the Song’s
bureaucratic expansion, outnumbered the aristocracy (landowners who inherited
wealth).
- Educated in Confucian philosophy
● Farmers, Artisans, and Merchants ranked below Scholar Gentry, with their positions
largely based on Confucian philosophy (Low status of Merchants due to Confucian
respect for hard work, and merchants simply exchanged goods with little effort)
● Peasants( worked for wealthy landowners to pay off debts) and urban poor represented
the lower rungs of society
- Song dynasty provided aid to the poor and free healthcare
● Women were respected and expected to defer to men, with the practice of foot binding
among aristocratic families in order to signify social status becoming strengthened
during Tang/Song Dynasties.
- Foot binding hindered the movement of women, meaning they couldn’t
participate in the public sphere.
Intellectual + Cultural Developments
● Intellectual pursuits thrived as a result of affluence, well-educated public, and varied
contact with foreign nations.
● The invention of paper (2nd century) and printing (7th century, are regarded as the first
culture to use woodblock printing) allowed for the availability of books and the
expansion of literature throughout the era
, - Ex: Song dynasty printed booklets on farming efficiency throughout
rice-growing regions
- Most Peasants were actually illiterate, but China’s privileged classes (Confucian
scholars) consumed and produced literature at a tremendous rate
- Emphasis on schooling created well-rounded scholar-bureaucrats in Tang/Song
(Europeans with similar diverse skills would be named Renaissance men)
Religious Diversity in China
● Buddhism’s popularity became widespread during Tang Dynasty because of the monk
Xuanzang. 3 Main Types from India came to shape Asia:
- Theravada Buddhism focused on personal spiritual growth through meditation
and self-discipline and became the strongest in Southeast Asia.
- Mahayana Buddhism focused on spiritual growth for all beings, becoming
strongest in China and Korea
- Tibetan Buddhism focused on chanting, and it was popular in Tibet!
- All three include belief in Four Noble Truths (eliminate desire to achieve peace),
Eightfold Path, and precepts (right speech/livelihood/effort/mindfulness) that
can lead to nirvana (enlightenment)
● Buddhism became popular because monks related it to Daoist principles, creating a
syncretic (fused) faith Chan/Zen Buddhism
- Ex: Dharma became translated as dao (the way)
- Zen Buddhism emphasized direct meditation/experience opposed to formal
learning based on studying scripture.
● The Tang Dynasty did not like that a foreign religion would have more prominence than
China’s native religions, and despite monasteries’ closures and land seizures, buddhism
remained popular.
● Song didn't promote it, but they remained impartial towards Buddhism, preferring to
emphasize China’s native traditions
- Buddhism’s strong presence even made Confucians adopt its ideals into daily life
- Confucian idea of filial piety (respect your male leader + emperor) helped Song
maintain rule in China
● A combination of rationalism and ideas of Daoism/Buddhism became popular in the
countries surrounding China
- Known as Neo-Confucianism, evolved between 770-840
- Emphasized ethics rather than god/nature
Unit 1: The Global Tapestry 1200-1450
1.1 Developments in East Asia
A: Explain the systems of government employed by Chinese dynasties and how they developed over time.
B: Explain the effects of Chinese cultural traditions on East Asia over time.
C: Explain the effects of innovation on the Chinese economy over time.
Government Developments in Song Dynasty
● The Song Dynasty Replaced Tang in 960 and ruled for three centuries. They had less land
but they flourished.
● Appointed officials carrying out the empire’s policies (Imperial Bureaucracy) gave
China its strength, and it would only expand + strengthen the dynasty.
- Bureaucracy had been in place since Qin
- Represented a continuity across centuries/dynasties
● Emperor Song Taizu allowed young men of lower economic status to have expanded
educational opportunities
- Done in an effort to help them score well on civil service exams
- This system of demonstrating merit on exams to achieve positions gave China’s
bureaucracy the name of meritocracy, and it allowed for more upward mobility
than any other system of its time
- Contributed to the empire's downfall because of the bureaucracy’s size; creating
so many jobs + paying officials a lot increased costs of government, harming
China’s surplus wealth.
Economic Developments in Post Classical China
● Accomplishments of the Tang Dynasty (agricultural dev, improved roads/canals, foreign
trade, technology spread) led to rapid prosperity/growth during Song Dynasty
- Ex: Grand Canal - inexpensive and efficient waterway transport system 30k miles
long. Its expansion during the Song Dynasty allowed China to become the most
populous trading area in the world.
● Innovators in the Song Dynasty made the first guns. Over Centuries, gunpowder/gun
technology spread from China to all parts of Eurasia through the Silk Road.
● Agricultural production was expanded by Champa Rice, a fast-ripening and
drought-resistant crop from the Champa Kingdom.
, - Allowed farming to spread to once-impossible lands (lowlands, riverbanks, hills)
and even allowed farmers to grow two rice crops (summer/winter) per year.
● Innovative Methods of Production: Elaborate irrigation systems, manure, and heavy
plows pulled by buffalo allowed for agricultural expansion and success
● These Agricultural changes brought China an abundance of food, greatly increasing its
population.
● Industrial Production in China soared, in part due to China’s discovery of coal allowing
for greater amounts of cast iron goods.
- The massive use of Coal to power machines wouldn’t be in use until the 28th
century, but China did have the greatest manufacturing capability in the world.
- By taking the carbon out of cast iron to manufacture steel, the Chinese were able
to make/reinforce bridges, gates, and ship anchors, make religious items, and
strengthen agriculture equipment, helping with agricultural output.
● China experienced proto-industrialization, a set of economic changes that relied more
on home-based production using simple equipment under the supervision of the
imperial government.
- Allowed people in rural areas to make more goods than they could sell.
- Ex: Artisans produced steel and porcelain, a highly desirable material because of
its lightness, strength, and easy paintability.
● Chinese used Compass for navigation, redesigned ships to carry more cargo, and
utilized paper navigation charts (ability to print) to make seafaring possible in open
waters, making sailors less reliant on the sky.
● With these advances, China became the world’s most commercialized society.
- The economy changed from local to market production with porcelain, textile,
and tea exports.
- Grand Canal + Advances in Naval Tech allowed for greater control of expanding
internal trade in the South China Sea
- Military Power allowed Tang + Song to protect traders from bandits
● By letting the government pay people to work on public projects instead of requiring
them, the Song could increase the amount of money in circulation, promoting the
growth of a commercial economy.
● Other states had to provide money or goods to honor the Chinese emperor as another
source of income for the Government, cementing China’s economic/political power over
several foreign countries and creating stability/trade.
, - This tributary system originated from the Han Dynasty
- Korea, Japan, and kingdoms in Southeast Asia were tributary states by the time
of the Song.
- To show respect, anyone greeting the Chinese emperor had to bow their head
until it reached the floor (kowtow)
- Zheng He’s voyages were ways to show the power of the emperor and receive
tribute.
Social Structures in China
● The Song Dynasty brought an increase in urbanization, unlike the rural-centered
communities of past China.
- At its height, the Song Dynasty was the most urbanized land in the world with
cosmopolitan metropolises such as Chang’an, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou
(Ancient capitals, port cities) boasting more than 100k people.
● Scholar Gentry: The most influential social class in China, created by the Song’s
bureaucratic expansion, outnumbered the aristocracy (landowners who inherited
wealth).
- Educated in Confucian philosophy
● Farmers, Artisans, and Merchants ranked below Scholar Gentry, with their positions
largely based on Confucian philosophy (Low status of Merchants due to Confucian
respect for hard work, and merchants simply exchanged goods with little effort)
● Peasants( worked for wealthy landowners to pay off debts) and urban poor represented
the lower rungs of society
- Song dynasty provided aid to the poor and free healthcare
● Women were respected and expected to defer to men, with the practice of foot binding
among aristocratic families in order to signify social status becoming strengthened
during Tang/Song Dynasties.
- Foot binding hindered the movement of women, meaning they couldn’t
participate in the public sphere.
Intellectual + Cultural Developments
● Intellectual pursuits thrived as a result of affluence, well-educated public, and varied
contact with foreign nations.
● The invention of paper (2nd century) and printing (7th century, are regarded as the first
culture to use woodblock printing) allowed for the availability of books and the
expansion of literature throughout the era
, - Ex: Song dynasty printed booklets on farming efficiency throughout
rice-growing regions
- Most Peasants were actually illiterate, but China’s privileged classes (Confucian
scholars) consumed and produced literature at a tremendous rate
- Emphasis on schooling created well-rounded scholar-bureaucrats in Tang/Song
(Europeans with similar diverse skills would be named Renaissance men)
Religious Diversity in China
● Buddhism’s popularity became widespread during Tang Dynasty because of the monk
Xuanzang. 3 Main Types from India came to shape Asia:
- Theravada Buddhism focused on personal spiritual growth through meditation
and self-discipline and became the strongest in Southeast Asia.
- Mahayana Buddhism focused on spiritual growth for all beings, becoming
strongest in China and Korea
- Tibetan Buddhism focused on chanting, and it was popular in Tibet!
- All three include belief in Four Noble Truths (eliminate desire to achieve peace),
Eightfold Path, and precepts (right speech/livelihood/effort/mindfulness) that
can lead to nirvana (enlightenment)
● Buddhism became popular because monks related it to Daoist principles, creating a
syncretic (fused) faith Chan/Zen Buddhism
- Ex: Dharma became translated as dao (the way)
- Zen Buddhism emphasized direct meditation/experience opposed to formal
learning based on studying scripture.
● The Tang Dynasty did not like that a foreign religion would have more prominence than
China’s native religions, and despite monasteries’ closures and land seizures, buddhism
remained popular.
● Song didn't promote it, but they remained impartial towards Buddhism, preferring to
emphasize China’s native traditions
- Buddhism’s strong presence even made Confucians adopt its ideals into daily life
- Confucian idea of filial piety (respect your male leader + emperor) helped Song
maintain rule in China
● A combination of rationalism and ideas of Daoism/Buddhism became popular in the
countries surrounding China
- Known as Neo-Confucianism, evolved between 770-840
- Emphasized ethics rather than god/nature
